Meter alarm valve



J. H. BRUMBAUGH. METER ALARMVALVE.

APPLIQATION FILED NOV. I7, 1917- Pafented-May 2,1922.

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METER. ALARM VALVE.

Application filed November 17, 1917.' Serial No. 202,463.

To all whom flimsy concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN BRUM- BAUGH, a citizen of the United, States, and resident of the village of Wilmette, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have made a certain new and usefullnvention Relating to Meter Alarm Valves, of which the following is'a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawin which forms part of the same.

This invention relates especially tometer alarm valves for use in connection with automatic sprinkler systems or other fire protection systems, the alarmvalve having. in connection therewith an electric or other alarm signal actuated when the valve opens in the event of fire. A meter device is also arranged so that when the valve opens the water supply for moderate extinguishing or other purposes will fiow'through the me. ter to thereby measure the water flow, wh le for unusually large requirements the valve may open wlder so as to allow the water to flow at least in part past or around the meter and without undesirably decreasing theefiective head of the extinguishing liquid,

The accompanying drawing shows inla somewhat diagrammatic way an illustrative embodiment of this invention in vertical section, parts being removed for greater clearness.

The valve casing 1 of any suitable. form and material may be bolted or otherwise connected to the distributing system 2' so that in the event of fire extinguishing liquid is supplied to the automatic sprinkler heads or other distributing devices arranged at various parts of the building.-.. The valve casing may also be si'milarlyseeured to a supply pipe 3 connected to the municipal or other water supply so as to furnish ex tinguishing fluid to the distributing system under fire emergency conditions. The alarm valve 38 which may be of any-desired type or construction may comprisethe valve 33 cooperating with the valve seat 34 and may as indicated be pivotally mounted asby having-the valve body Qsecur'ed'to valve arm 24 and stem 23 by the nut 8 on the stud 7. In this way the valve is guided during its opene ing movement andthe resistance which-it offers may be regulated in any suitable way as by securing the desired weight 5 to the valve by screwing it on thedepending end of the stud'7. -If desired also an auxiliary Washer 6 may thus be secured to thelower part 10 of the valve body so as to properly c-losethe upper" end of the passage adjacent the valve seat 345 and regulate the flowof l1qu1d during the opening movement of the valve asis desirable insomeinstances,

'I-n order'to direct the flow through'theh meter devices during ordinary extinguishmgactlon of the apparatus orother'withg drawal of water therefrom a suitable valve collar, such as 35, may be arranged adjacent the valve seat and preferably though not necessarily formed integral therewith. oi? a single bronze or other non-corrodib'le castmg, for instance, soas toprovide the valvethroat 12 of such shape as to accommodate;

the valve during itsrising movement. A

substantially tight joint may be made be tween the valve and throat by the use of a suitable throat washer ll'screwed' or otherwise secured to the alarm valve below" the holding plate 38. In this way the first opening movement of the valve so as to assumea partially open position does-not give direct connection between the supply pipe and the valve chamber icommunicating with the distributing system abo-ve,but

.merely opens the by-passv or meter passage 13 'connnunicating with the distributing system through a meter device or" any suitable Specification of Letters Patent. at t a 2 92 7 character so as to measure the amountof a water or other extinguishing liquid which flows past the valve. This meter devicemay, for example, comprise the'turbine meter wheel 1 1 having the spiral passages 32' in its periphery and revolubly mounted on the meter shaft 15 so as to revolve therewith when water is flowing through the meter passage and communicating meter chamber 37. This movement may be indicated or recorded vby any suitable mechanism such as the reduction gears 16 transmitting a slower rotary movement to the indicator shaft 17 so as to actuate the indicator wheels or members 18 in the indicator c'asing'19- which may be provided with an open side or with a transparent window, if desired. For convenience of construction and-as sembly, the meter devicemay be mounted in a sectional or other meter casing 20', 21, to which the-indicator casing may also'be' se-' cured, if desired, the various parts of the;

meter such as the support 22 for thereduct1ongears being screwed or otherwise secured to thlscaslng so thatt-he wholemay i sired accuracy. At the same timean ex-k Inthis way the amount of water flowing past the'va'lve under any ordinary fire emergency operation of the sprinkler'apparatus, etc., is indicated or metered with the detreme demand "from the sprinkler system would cause the further lifting of the alarm valve so that it would rise clear of the valve throat and thus allow water to fiow directly past the valve and into the distributing systemwithout passing around through the meterdevice or being retarded in this way. The alarm valve may have connected therewith 'any desired alarm mechanism, such for example, as the alarm closer arm 25 which maybe secured to the valve stem 23 outside of the casing and have connected there with the alarm switch 26 cooperating with the alarm sectors 27, 28. The openingof the alarm valve through the connected (loser arm moves this switch into electricalcontact with the alarm sectors so as to'close the alarm circuit 29 in which they'are included, together with the battery or other source of potential 30 and the electric bell or other alarm signal 31 which may be located at any desired or convenient point to give the usual alarm signal when the valve opens. Additional testing or indicating devices may, of course, be used in connection with the valve, such, for instance, as the pressure or indicator connection 39 with which a pressure gauge or the like may be connected.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of illustrative forms, proportions, parts, materials, arrangements and devices, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Pat-' cut is set forth in the appended claims:

1. In meter alarm valves for automatic sprinkler systems, a valve casing adapted to be-connected to a sprinkler distributing system'and to a municipal water supply system, an alarm valve mounted in said casing,

- a connected valve arm and valvestem to guide said alarm valve in its opening movement, an electric alarm device comprlsing an alarm slgnal and an alarm switch connected to said valve stem to actuate said alarmj signal when said alarm valve opens,

' a. valve seat .with which said alarm valve cooperates and a throttling valve collar formed integral with said valve-seat to form said alarm valve and throat during thefirst opening movement of said alarm valve, a

meter passage communicating with. said -throat adjacent said valve seat, a turbine meter device mounted in a sectional meter casing secured to' said valve ccasingto receive the fluid flowing from said meter-passage into said distributing system when said alarm valve first opens, an indicator mount-- ed outside of said valve casing and connect-.. edtosaid meter device, said alarmyalve having emergency opening movement out of "said valve-throat to iallow direct flow of liquid through said throat and into said distrlbuting system without passing through said meter device. a

2. In 'meter alarm valves for automatic sprinkler systems, a'valve casing adapted to be connected to a sprinkler distributing system andcto a municipal water supply system, an alarm valve mounted in said' casing, an electric alarm device comprising an alarm signal and an alarm switch connected to said valve to actuate said alarm signal whensaid alarm-'valve'opens, a'valve seat with which said alarm valve cooperates and a throttling valve collar formed integralwith said valve s'eat to form a valve throat through which saidalarm valve moves dur-- ing its opening movement, a meter passage communicating with said throat adjacent said valve seat, a meter device mounted in a meter casing secured to said valve casing to receive the fluid flowing from said meter passage into said distributing system when said alarm valve first opens, said alarm valve having emergency opening movement outof said valve throat to allow direct flow of liquid through said throat and into said distributing systemrwithout passing through said meter device. v

3. In meter alarm valves for automatic, sprinkler systems, a valvecasing adapted to be connected to a sprinkler distributing system andto a municipal water supply sys tem, an alarm valve mounted in said casing, an electric alarm device connected to said valve to be actuated when said alarm valve opens, a valve seat with which said alarm valve cooperates, a valve collar with said valve seat to form a valve throat through which said alarm valve moves during its opening movement, -a' throat washer mounted on said alarm valve to make substantially tight joint between said alarm valve 1 and said alarm valve, a meter passage communicating with said throat andndjacent said valve seat, a turbine meter device to receive the fluid flowingi'rom said meter' pas'sage. into said distributing system when said alarm valve first/opens, said alarm valve havin emergency opening movement out of said valve throat to allow direct flow of liquid through said throat and into said distributingr ystem without-passing through said meterde'vice, I I

4. In meter alarm valves for automatic sprinkler systems, a valve casing adapted to opening be connected to a sprinkler distributing system and to a municipal water supply system, an alarm valve mounted in said casing, an alarm device connected to said valve tobe actuated when said alarm valve opens, a valve seat with which said alarm valve cooperates, to form a valve throat through which said alarm valve moves during its opening movement, a meterpassage communicating with said throat adjacent said valve seat and a meterdevice to receive the fluid flowing from said meter passage into said distributing system when said alarm valve first opens, said alarm valve having'emergency movement out of said valve throat to allow direct flow of liquid through said throat and into said distributing system without passing through aid meter device.

5, In meter alarm valves for fire protection systems, a valve casing'adapted to be connected to a distributing system and to a municipal water supply system, an alarm valve mounted in said casing, an alarm device connected to said valveto be actuated when said alarm valve opens, a valve seat with which said alarm valve cooperates, a meter passage normally substantially closed by said valve and communicating with said valve seat and with the portion of said valve casingv adapted tobe connected to said distributing system, and a meter device to receive the fluid flowing from said meter passage into said distributing system when said alarm valve first opens.

6. In meter alarm valves for automatic fire protection systems, a valve casing adapted to be connected to a distributing system and to a water supply system, a valve seat in said casing, a meter passage adjacent said valve seat and communicating with such distributing system connection, a meter device mounted to receive the fluid flowing from said meter passage into said distributing system, an alarm and an alarm valve actuating said alarm and cooperating'with said valve seat'to direct fluid into said meter passage during the firstopening' movement ofsaid valve and to allow the direct passageof part at least of the fluid into said distributing system without entering said meter passage when said valve opens further.

7. In meter devices for fire protection sysa valve collarwith said valve seat ed to be connected to said distributing system and a connected meter device to receive the fluid flowing through said passage into said distributing system, a valve cooperating with said valve seat to directfluid into said meter passage during the first opening move-- ment of said valve and to allow the direct passage of part at least of the fluid into said distributing system without entering said meter device when said valve opens further.

8. In meter devices for automatic fire protection systems, a casing adapted to be connected to a distributing system and to a water supply, a meter device and means com prising a controlling device to direct fluid into said meter device during the first movement of said controlling device under fire emergency conditions and to allow the direct passage of fluid into said distributing system without entering said meter device when said controlling means opens further.

9. In meter alarm valves for automatic sprinkler systems, a valve casing adapted to be connected to a sprinkler distributing system and to a water supply, a valve seat in said casing, a meter passage adjacent said valve seat and adapted to be connected with said distributing system, a meter device mounted to receive the fluid flowing from said meter passage into said distributing system, an alarm and an alarm valve actuating said alarm and cooperating with said valve seat to direct fluid into said meter passage during part of the opening movementof said valve. I

10. In meter devices for automatic sprinkler systems, a casing adapted to be connected to a sprinkler distributing system and to a water supply, a meter device and a controlling device to direct through said meter device fluid passing from said water supply to said distributing system when said controlling device moves under fire emergency conditions.

JOHN H. BRUMBAUGH.

Witnesses:

' O.,J. STONE,

B; E. ANDERSON. 

